Apparatus for mixing materials for making roads



July 19, 1932. w. e. FRAZEE APPARATUS FOR MIXING MATERIALS FOR MAKING ROADS Filed May 31, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 July. 19, 1932- w. G. FRAZEE 1,867,817

APPARATUS FDR MIXING MATERIALS FOR MAKING ROADS Filed May 51. 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 19, 1932, w, FRAZEE 1,867,817

APPARATUS FOR MIXING MATERIALS FOR MAKING ROADS Filed May 31, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 July 19, 1932. w. G. FRAZEE 1,867,817

APPARATUS FOR MIXING MATERIALS FOR MAKING ROADS Filed May 31. 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 117mm QM Jlfly 19, 1932. w, FRAZEE 1,867,817

APPARATUS FOR MIXING MATERIALS FOR MAKING ROADS Filed May 31. 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 19, 1932 PATENT HOE WALTER GUY FRAZEE, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO IOWA MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IOWA APPARATUS FOR MIXING MATERIALS FOR MAKING ROADS Application filed May 31, 1930. Seria] No. 457,837.

In my pending application for patent for apparatus for mixing materials for making roads, filed September 25, 1929, Serial No. 395,026, there is illustrated a machine for preparing a heated mixture of any suitable crushed stone or gravel aggregate and road oil, in which as a part of the entire apparatus I employ an aggregate measuring device and an associated oil measuring device controlled by the movement of the aggregate measuring device, so that the components of the product being formed will be delivered synchronously in properly proportioned charges to a pug mill by which it is mixed. My present invention relates to improvements in the measuring devices of such a machine, or other machines in which measuring devices of a similar character may be employed. The object of my invention is the provision of weighing devices which shall be accurate in measuring the material, precise and certain in operation, and which in general shall reliably serve the purposes for which they were designed. In the appended claims, I have/more particularly pointed out the essential elements ofmy invention, it being understood, however, that the mechanism is capable of some modifications and variation in design without departing from the true spirit and scope of my invention, and that I desire the claims construed to cover all equivalent parts and elements and modifications of form which are not disclosed by the prior art.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevation of what will be termed the front end of the measuringapparatus;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the gravel or crushed stone measuring device, the plane of the section being indicated by the dotted line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view of what will be termed for convenience of description the left side of the gravel measuring device, showing the parts lying to the right of the dotted line 33 of Fig. 1, speaking with reference to the position of the parts as shown in said figure;

Fig. 4 is a detail of a spring-stressed stop pin in horizontal section, as indicated by the section line 4r'4: of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is also a horizontal section showing one of two opposite bearings pivotally supporting the rocking frame or scale beam of the gravel weighing device in the sides of the casing;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 66 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a central vertical section of the gravel weighing device in a plane indicated by the dotted line 7-7 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is an axial horizontal section of the oil measuring device, parts of the connected piping being shown in plan view;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of such device, looking towards the left; and

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectionthrough the four way valve of the oil measuring device showing the fioor connection to and from the cylinder.

Like reference characters indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Describing first the gravel or crushed stone aggregate mechanism, the housing 1 of the device is formed with parallel sides 2-2 and curved front and rear walls, marked respectively, 3 and 4:, within the top of which is arranged a hopper structure. Preferably, as illustrated, the front lower portion of the hopper, including the lower vertical front wall 5 of the throat and a portion 6 of the inclined front wall are connected together to form a swinging gate which is connected to the remaining upper front portion of the hopper'by a hinge joint, and the gate portion is yieldingly heldin the normal rearward portion shown by means of a stiff spring interposed between the gate and front Gas: ing wall 3 and coiled around a rod 8 which is connected to the gate and provided with an operating handle 108 at its front end; Should the throat of the hopper become choked by a fragment of rock too large to pass through the throat the gate can be rocked against the stress of the spring 7 by the handle and rod 8 to permit its passage;

Below the throat of the hopper is a double compartment bucket 9 which is mounted to have a limited oscillating movement upon a shaft 10 which forms part of a rocking frame. This frame, through the oscillation of the frame is itself arranged to have an upward and downward movement in an arcuate path. The frame includes the shaft 10, extending outside the opposite side walls 22 of the housing, a pair of side arms 1111 bolted to the shaft outside of and adjacent said housing side walls and pivoted on pivot pins 12*12 secured to such walls, and a tie beam 13 bolted to and connecting said side arms at the front of the casing. Preferably, and as illustrated,see Fig. 5the pivots 12 are each rigidly fixed by a set screw 121 to a hub 122 formed on the particular side arm 11, and the inwardly extending ends of the pivots are mounted in roller bearings carried y a bearing cup 123 bolted to the adjacent side wall of the housing.

. Bolted to the front end of the tie beam is a counterweight 14, in addition to which are provided a suitable number of removable counterweights 15 which may be stacked upon pins 16 secured to said tie beam, to vary the total counterweight acting upon the front end of the frame, which functions as a scale beam. A pair of adjustable stops 80, carried by cross-bars forming part of the housing structure serve to limit the downward movement of the front end of the frame.

The bucket 9 is formed, as illustrated, with parallel side walls 109 connected by a front wall 110 and rear wall 111, and by an upper partition wall 112 and lower partition wall 113 which respectively extend upwardly and downwardly from a central sleeve 11 1 through which the above-mentioned shaft 10 of the rocking frame extends, and which at its ends 'is provided with roller bearings which constitute the bearings upon which the bucket is pivoted. Preferably the upper partition 112 is reinforced or shielded by wearing plates 115, and if desired the front and rear walls may also be reinforced by liner plates, marked 116 and 117, respectively, as shown. -At the top of the upper partition wall 112 I have provided a flexible wiper 119, which may be formed of the material used for heavy rubber belts. Preferably, and as illustrated, the lower partition wall is of sectional construction, the lower section consisting of a slotted steel plate 113" which is bolted to the upper section 113. The slotted bolt holes enable the plate 113 to be adjusted to just wipe without friction against an oscillating shaft 118 shortly to be described.

The compartments of the bucket are arranged to be alternately closed and opened at the bottom by an oscillating double gate member 17 which is secured to the shaft 118 just mentioned, which is pivotally supported in bearings 120 carried by the side walls 109109 of the bucket immediately below the lower line of the lower partition wall 113.

It may be here explained that the gravel or crushed stone aggregate, which it will be understood is supplied to the hopper in a more or less continuous manner through any suitable mechanism-not illustrated,-passes into one compartment of the bucket 9 in one position of said bucket, and into the other compartment in its opposite position. The counterweighted frame above described, acting as a scale beam, supports the bucket in uppermost position with one or the other of the two compartments in position to be filled, the bucket being maintained in such position by one of two similar toggle mechanisms which will later be described. When the weight of the aggregate flowing into the particular compartment overbalances the counterweights, the bucket falls to lower position, this movement acting to break the particular toggle mechanism and permit the weight of the aggregate to rock the bucket as it descends, and this rocking movement acting to straighten the other toggle and through connections which will later be described shifts the gate 17 and permits the accumulated load of aggregate to be discharged. The counterweight now lifts the bucket, bringing the straightened toggle mechanism into position to maintain in its turn the bucket in the other of its two opposite upper positions while the other compartment of the bucket is being filled, whereupon the bucket descends to discharge the charge in such compartment and so on.

Describing now the duplicate toggle mechanisms by which the bucket is held in its opposite positions, the bucket is provided with an anchor bar 18 which is bolted to it against interposed tubular spacing sleeves 19 by bolts 20. These bolts and spacing sleeves form pivot bearings which severally engage similar and opposite locking links 21-21 pivoted respectively to trip links 2222 which are rigidly secured to rock shafts 23 -23 journaled in bearings carried by the opposite side walls of the casing. The trip links 2222 are formed with depending arms, marked 24c2l respectively, which are arranged to bring up, in the movements of the toggle members, against spring-stressed stop pins 25-25 (see Figs. 3 and 1) carried by the rear and front walls of the casing. In the present instance the pin 25 (or 25 as the case may be) slidingly engages a tubular sleeve 26 and connected cap 27 secured to the casing wall and is formed with a stem surrounded by a helical compression spring 28 bearing against the shoulder at the inner end of the stem and the cap 27, nuts 29 being provided to prevent disengagement of the stop pin from the spring housing.

The connections for oscillating the gate 17 of the bucket may now be described. The shaft 118 to which the gate is secured has fixed to it a forked lever arm 30 having its members connected near their ends by a cross pin 31 which engages the forked lower end of a lever 32 rotatably mounted upon the reduced right end of the shaft 10 of the rocking frame or scale beam upon which the bucket is mounted. The forked upper end of this lever 32 is flexibly connected to a rod 33 which at its front end is secured loosely to the front wall 3 of the casing in such manner that its free rear end may move up and down with the bucket structure. The flexible connection of the lever 32 and rod 33 consists of a pair of springs 343l bearing at their approximate ends against washers on opposite sides of said lever and at their remote ends against washers and nuts on the rod.

Further explaining the operation of the mechanism thus far described, and assuming that, with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 3 the aggregate has been dumped from the front compartment and the bucket has just risen thereafter to upper position, it will be understood that the weight of the connected rear toggle members 21 and 22 will cause the members to sag slightly at the joint between them, and as the rear compartment fills the stress on the joint will tend to break the joint downwardly, the locking pin 25 yielding a little, but only slightly so that the bucket is maintained in the position shown while the rear compartment is being filled. When, however, the load of gravel in the compartment overbalances the counterweights on the front end of the scale beam the beam is rocked and the bucket begins to descend to lower position. In doing so the front end of the locking link is carried downwardly below the dead center line of the toggle joint, the stop-pin 25 stopping the trip link 22 from any movement in the same direction, and the toggle joint is broken upwardly so that the weight of the material in the rear compartment can swing the bucket on its bearings on the shaft 10 at the rear of the scale beam, straightening the front toggle joint as it does so. The oscillation of the bucket after the toggle linkage is broken operates in a manner which will later be explained to open the gate of the filled rear compartment, and as the material escapes therefrom the load is lightened and the counterweight checks the downward movement and acts to return the bucket to upper position. By the time the bucket has reached the end of its oscillation the rear compartment of the bucket has begun to empty, and at the end of the oscillation the bucket begins to ascend. In the downward shifting of position of the bucket the front stop-pin 25 will ofi'er a cushioned resistance to further movement of the parts as the bucket arrives at lowermost position.

The opening of the gate 17 is effected by the coaction of the levers and 32. Inasmuch as the top of the lever 32 is flexibly connected to the rod 33, and the latter oscillates during the bucket movement from its point of connection with the front wall of the casing as a center, and inasmuch as the center of the lever 32 is pivoted on the shaft 10 of the rocking frame, which oscillates during the bucket movement on the pivots 12-12 as a center, said lever will oscillate only slightly as the bucket falls and rises. The shaft 118 to which the lever arm 30 is secured, however, is carried by the rocking movement of the bucket on the shaft 1.0 from the position of forward inclination of the arm shown in Fig.

3 to the position of rearward inclination 7 shown in Fig. 2, and the reaction of the crosspin 31 in the fork at the lower end of the lever 32 rocks the shaft 118 and gate 17 to open the bottom of the rear compartment and close the front compartment. The gravel having been dumped from the rear compartment the counterweight acts to lift the bucket to the position shown in Fig. 2, as before explained. In case a rock should jam between the gate and bucket in the operation of the machine, the springs 34 serve to permit oscillation of the bucket without damage to the connections employed for oscillating the gate.

Describing now the associated oil-measuring device,see more particularly Figs. 8 and 9, the measuring cylinder and associate parts are of the same construction as shown in my pending application before referred to, including two piston heads 51 and 52 working in the cylinder on opposite sides of a partition 53 and both secured to a single piston stem 54 passing through said partition. To provide for varying the size of the chambers the piston 52 is mounted upon a sleeve 55 abutting against an adjusting nut 56 arranged to engage the reduced threaded end of the piston stem, which is calibrated to indicate the capacity of the cylinder chambers at the different positions of adjustment of the nut. On opposite sides of the partition 53 the cylinder is formed with ports 57 and 58 in free communication through pipes 59 and 60 respectively, with the ports and passages of a rotary four-way valve 61.

The oil which the oil-measuring device is designed to measure comes from an oil pump (not shown) through the pipe 62 in which may be interposed an o l meter 63 of any suitable construction, and a pipe section 64 which is connected to the inlet of the four-way valve. The outlet from the four-way valve is connected by a pipe 65 with the spray pipe 66 which extends along the top of the pug mill. In one position of the valve the front cylinder chamber is in communication through the port 57 and pipe 59 with the outlet pipe 65 and. the rear cylinder chamber is in communication through port 58 and pipe 60 with the inlet pipe 64, while in the other position of the iitl valve the cylinder connections are reversed. It is obvious that at each shifting of the valve the pressure of the oil forced through the inlet pipe will fill the cylinder chamber which had just before been connected with the outlet pipe, expelling the oil from the other chamber as the connected pistons shift to opposite position, and that measured charges or" oil will be delivered to the spray pipe at each movement.

The shifting of the four-way valve of the oil-measuring device is controlled by the oscillating shaft 23 to which the trip link 22 of the rear toggle is secured, so that at each rotative movement to opposite position of the rock shaft, consequent upon delivery to the pug mill of a measured charge of gravel, the valve will be oscillated and a reversal of the valve connections will be effected which will bring about the discharge of a measured charge of oil. To this end there is fixed to the left end of the shaft 23 a counterweighted rock arm which is connected by a link 71 which is pivoted to a lever 72 secured to the stem of the valve. The link is of telescopic construction having screwthreaded connection of the parts for purposes of adjustment. The counterweight, marked 73, on the rock arm 70, it may be explained, is of such weight as to nearly or exactly counterbalance the weight of the rock arm 70 and connected parts, but not overbalance them, so that the action of the rear toggle will occur as hereinbeiore explained and be the same as that of the front toggle.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for synchronously delivering proportioned charges of gravel and road oil to a common mixing device, a gravel-measuring device including a scalebeam, a two-chambered oscillating bucket pivotally supported on said scale beam, a rock-shaft journaled in the machine housing and rocked by the oscillating movement of said bucket, an oil-measuring device having a piston and a cylinder having opposite measuring chambers and a port leading to each chamber, supply and discharge pipes and a rotary four-Way valvehaving inlet and outlet passages connected with said pipes and having passages for alternately first connecting one chamber with the inlet passage and simultaneously connecting the other chamber with the discharge passage and then reversing said connections, and a linkage connection between said rock-shaft and said rotary valve.

2. In apparatus for synchronously delivering proportioned charges of gravel and road oil to a common mixing device, a gravel-measuring device including a twochambered oscillating bucket and a rock shaft journaled in the machine housing and rocked by the oscillating movement of said bucket, an oil-measuring device having a. piston and a cylinder having opposite measuring chambers and a port leading to each chamber, supply and discharge pipes and a rotary four-way valve having inlet and outlet passages connected with said pipes and having passages for alternately first connecting one chamber with the inlet passage and simultaneously connecting the other chamber with the discharge passage and then reversing said connections, and a linkage connection between said rockshaft and said rotary valve.

3. In apparatus for synchronously delivering proportioned charges of gravel and road oil to a common mixing device, a gravel-measuring device including a scale-beam, a twocha-mbered oscillating bucket pivotally supported on said scale beam, a rock-shaft journaledin the machine housing and rocked by the oscillating movement of said bucket, an oil-measuring device having a piston and a cylinder having opposite measuring chambers and a port leading to each chamber, supply and discharge pipes, valve mechanism arranged to alternately first connect one of said chambers with the supply pipe and simultaneously connect the other chamber with the discharge pipe and then reverse said connections, and a linkage connection between said rock-shaft and said valve mechanism.

4. A measuring device comprising a scale beam, a two-chambered oscillating bucket pivotally supported on said scale beam and counterweighted to normally stand in upper position, a pair of toggle mechanisms connecting said bucket and the machine frame arranged to alternatively lock said bucket in one or the other of two inclined opposite positions, the descent of the bucket when loaded to preponderance over the counterweight being arranged to break the straightened locking toggle and the oscillation of the bucket under the load in the filled compartment being arranged to straighten the other toggle, and means for opening and closing in alternation the bottoms of the two chambers of the bucket.

5. A measuring device comprising a scale beam, a two-chambered oscillating bucket pivotally supported on said scale beam and counterweighted to normally stand in upper position, a pair of toggle mechanisms connecting said bucket and the machine frame arranged to alternatively lock said bucket in one or the other of two inclined opposite positions, the descent of'the bucket when loaded to preponderance over the counterweight being arranged to break the straightened locking toggle and the oscillation of the bucket under the load in the filled compartment being-arranged to straighten the other toggle, and means controlled by the oscillations of said bucket for opening and closing in alternation the bottoms of the two chambers of the bucket.

6. A measuring device comprising a scale beam, a two-chambered oscillating bucket pivotally supported on said scale beam and counterweighted to normally stand in upper position, a pair of toggle mechanisms connecting said bucket and the machine frame arranged to alternatively lock said bucket in one or the other of two inclined opposite positions, the descent of the bucket when loaded to preponderance over the counterweight being arranged to break the straightened locking toggle and the oscillation of the bucket under the load in the filled compartment being arranged to straighten the other toggle, and a swinging gate arranged to open and close the bottoms of the two chambers of the bucket alternatively, said gate being operated by the swinging of said bucket.

7 A measuring device comprising a scale beam, a two-chambered oscillating bucket pivotally supported on said scale beam and counterweighted to normally stand in upper position, a pair of toggle mechanisms connecting said bucket and the machine frame arranged to alternatively lock said bucket in one or the other of two inclined opposite positions, the descent of the bucket when loaded to preponderance over the counterweight being arranged to break the straightened locking to gle and the oscillation of the bucket under the load in the filled compartment being arranged to straighten the other toggle, a rock-shaft pivoted in said bucket at the lower edge of the partition between the chambers of the bucket, aswinging gate fixed to said rock shaft, a rock-arm on said rock shaft, a lever intermediately pivoted on the scale beam on the same axis as the bucket and having a slotted connection with said rock-arm, and a rod loosely connected with the upper end of said lever and also loosely connected with the machine frame.

8. A measuring device comprising a scale beam, a two-chambered oscillating bucket pivotally supported on said scale beam and counter-weighted to normally stand in upper position, means for alternately locking and unlocking said bucket in one or the other of two inclined opposite positions, a rockshaft pivoted in the sides of said bucket adjacent the lower edge of the partition be tween the chambers of the bucket, a swinging gate fixed to said rock shaft, a rock-arm on said rock shaft, a lever intermediately pivoted on the scale beam on the same axis as the bucket and having a slotted connec tion with said rock-arm, and a rod loosely connected with the upper end of said lever and also loosely connected with the machine frame.

9. A measuring device according to claim 8 in which the upper end of the said lever therein mentioned is confined between springs on the said rod.

10. A measuring device according to claim 8 in which said swinging gate is formed with bottom sections inclined at an obtuse angle in opposite directions from said rock shaft.

11. A measuring device comprising a scale beam, a two-chambered oscillating bucket pivotally mounted on said scale beam and counterweighted to normally stand in upper position, a pair of similar toggle mechanisms connecting said bucket and the machine frame arranged to alternatively lock said bucket in one or the other of two inclined opposite positions, a pair of stops for severally restraining the outer toggle members from breaking downwardly, whereby the descent of the bucket when loaded to preponderance over the counterweight will cause the straightened toggle to break upwardly and permit oscillation of the bucket under the load in the filled compartment to straighten the broken toggle, and means for opening and closing in alternation the bottoms of the two chambers of the bucket.

12. A measuring device according to claim 11 in which said stops have a limited yielding movement.

13. A measuring device according to claim 11 in which the outer toggle member of one or both toggle mechanisms is formed with a depending arm arranged tocooperate with a spring-stressed plunger carried by the casing and constituting the stop mentioned in said claim.

14. In apparatus for synchronously delivering proportioned charges of gravel and road oil to a common mixing device, a gravel measuring device including a two-chambered oscillating bucket pivotally mounted on said scale beam, a pair of similar toggle mechanisms pivotally connected to said bucket and the machine frame arranged to alternatively lock said bucket in one or the other of two inclined opposite positions, the pivotal connection of the outer member of one toggle including a rock-shaft j ournaled in the machine frame and said rock-shaft being equipped with a rock arm, an oil measuring device having a piston and a cylinder having opposite measuring chambers and a port leading to each chamber, supply and discharge pipes and valve mechanism arranged to alternately first connect one of said chambers with the supply pipe and simultaneously connect the other chamber with the discharge pipe and then reverse said connections, and a link connecting said rock arm and said valve.

15. An oil-measuring device comprising a pipe for the supply of oil under pressure, a discharge pipe, a cylinder formed with a central partition and ports adjacent and on opposite sides of said partition, a piston stem and a pair of spaced piston heads thereon in said a cylinder on opposite sides of said partition, and valve mechanism arranged to alternately first connect the chamber on one side of said partition with the supplypipe and simul taneously connect the other chamber with the i discharge pipe and then reverse said connections.

16. An oil-measuring device according to claim 15 in which one of said pistons is adjustably mounted on said piston stem.

17. An oil-measuring device according to claim 15 in which one of said pistons is secured to a sleeve slidably mounted on said piston stem and in which the outer end of said stem is threaded and equipped with an adjusting nut.

18. An oil-measuring device according to claim 15 in which one of said pistons is secured to a sleeve slidably mounted on said piston stem and in which the outer end of said stem is threaded and equipped with an adjusting nut and the end portion of the stem is calibrated to indicate the capacity of the cylinder chambers.

19. An oil-measuring device according to claim 15 in which said valve mechanism comprises a four-way rotary valve having inlet and outlet passages connected with said pipes and cylinder ports.

20. In a gravel-measuring device, a hopper having inclined lower side and end walls converging toward a throat at the bottom, one

of said side walls and the adjacent portion of the throat being separately formed and him ed at the top to form a gate, a spring ten ing to maintain said gate in normal position as a hopper wall, and a manually operable member for shifting said gate outwardly against its spring tension to enlarge the throat of the hopper.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

WALTER GUY FRAZEE. 

